Time To Take Water Back......

[ToraToraTora]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c51ypwj0214o

Yes I am generally a Tory and did agree with some nationalisation but NOT water. Time to take water back into public ownership by force. They are up to their eyeballs because they've just given it away to share holders etc. Gawd elp us I sound like a lefty but in this area I do think Labour should do what they are famous for and nationalise water without compensation, they've had enough dosh out of us.

[Lie-in King]

Spungle's link @ 10:37 - https://archive.ph/jHNtT

I agree that water - at least Thames Water - should be brought back into public ownership.

[youngmafbog]

It's more about the overall picture TTT is on about rather than what anyone pays (which isnt high generally).

It's the lack if investment and a creaking infrastructure especially with so many coming into the country.  We cant just keep pumping water and sewage down victorian pipes built for a much smaller population and expetc everything to be great.

So yes, I too agree it should be Nationalised then a program of work for reservoirs and dealing with flood water/sewage.  And there if course is the problem with Nationalisation, the Government/Civil Service dont have a clue how to write contracts.

[jackthehat]

I believe that some services are too fundamental to the human good to be left to the vagaries of market-forces.

Water 'production' and sewage disposal need to be brought up to proper 21st century standards.

[brainiac]

SharonA - have you looked into whether it would be cheaper if you had a meter fitted?  Mine came down considerably - usually if you have more bedrooms than people living in a property it's worth it, and free to have installed.  You should investigate, maybe ask neighbours who have a meter what they pay.

[nicebloke1]

Blimey, there appears to be a growing list being compiled on AB of problems you want Sir Keir to sort out, but yet no mention of most during the fat cat era. Strange you should only be seeing these problems now the con club is dead.🤣🤣

[naomi24]

Nicebloke, this is far from the first time this topic has been discussed here.  You must be suffering from selective reading.

[ToraToraTora]

11:27 I have said this many times for years.

[nicebloke1]

You could add to Sir Keirs list.. hunting down the UK oligarchs not just the Russian ones.😃

[ToraToraTora]

Nicebloke (right!) start your own thread stop derailing this one.

[brainiac]

When the water companies were privatised they had zero debt.  Now they owe more than £60 billion, but have paid out more than that in dividends to shareholders - it's no surprise that they are in such a mess.

Water - an essential resource where we have no choice what company we get it from - should never have been privatised.

[nicebloke1]

Derailing? UK water oligarchs? Selected reading? Should that be correct, must have been acquired from AB

[Old_Geezer]

I don't personally have to give permission for them to lay pipes,  an earlier owner must have though as their pipes run under my garden and the company push responsibility only to customer. Most unreasonable, the supply is part of their service.

[Old_Geezer]

Of course meter payments are initially lower than non-meter, it's a bribe to get you to approve. What it means is that they vastly overcharge those not on meters since if they were playing fair there'd be next to no difference in the bills for the same service. But that is surely obvious. They want control which is easier if they can point to volume, regardless of the social difficulties it creates.

[THECORBYLOON]

Why should the charges be the same when unmetered bills are based only upon presumed estimates?

The estimates might be higher or lower than the actual amounts.

[Old_Geezer]

As far as I am aware they were never based on estimates. They were not based on volume until recently.

[DTCwordfan]

Do folk honestly think that services and standards would improved in a nationalised water company? I think things would get worse - no best practices as such rather the Lowest Common Factor level in what is an industry bereft of any professionalism. 

Answer - turf out senior management wherever possible and swiftly too when standards are not acceptable.

[Old_Geezer]

Only investors can turf out management. The people have no power over a monopoly service. At best with a nationalised company they can pressure their MP and various parties to step in.

[Atheist]

OG; shareholders on the whiole are primarily interested in maximising their investment, not acting in the interest of the country as a whole.

[Old_Geezer]

That was my point.